Hebrews 5

 

February 3, 2008

 

Hebrews 5:1-14 says:

1Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.

 4No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. 5So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,
   "You are my Son;
      today I have become your Father.[a]"[b] 6And he says in another place,
   "You are a priest forever,
      in the order of Melchizedek."[c]

 7During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Warning Against Falling Away

 11We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 12In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

 

·        Hebrews 5:1-10 outlines the correspondence between the Old Testament high priest and Christ.

 

·        Verse 1 tells how every high priest is selected and appointed to high priesthood by God.

 

·        The high priestly office has four specific qualifications:

 

·        A high priest must:

 

1)     Be human, selected from among men.

 

2)     Be God appointed.

 

3)     Have a ministry in which he represents other human beings before God.

 

4)     Offer sacrifices that deal with sin.

 

Observations from Hebrews 5:

 

1) A high priest is gentle and patient with others who are ignorant – Jesus is the ultimate high priest. Vs. 1-6

 

·        Verse 4 points out that no Aaronic priest takes this honor upon himself but is called by God.

 

·        The Greek word translated “selected” in verse 1 is the same word translated “takes” in verse 4.

 

·        V. 4 – NOONE TAKES THIS HONOR UPON HIMSELF – In Christ’s day the high priestly office was in the hands of a family that had bought control of it.

 

·        Verses 5 through 10 are framed by the appointment of Christ as high priest.

 

·        Christ did not take the high priesthood upon himself but was called through the words of Psalm 110:4 quoted in Hebrews 5:6.

 

·        JUST LIKE JESUS, THE CHRISTIAN IS ALSO CHOSEN TO BE A “HIGH PRIEST”.

 

John 15:13-27 says:

13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17This is my command: Love each other.

The World Hates the Disciples

 18"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.'[a] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. 23He who hates me hates my Father as well. 24If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.'[b]

 26"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. 27And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

·        Followers of Jesus Christ have been ordained by God to be high priest in that they intercede and make petitions for those who are falling away from God – If you are a Christian, then you are a high priest today.

TWO HIGH PRIESTHOODS COMPARED – Hebrews 5:1-10

 

THE HIGH PRIESTHOOD OF AARON

Hebrews 5:1 says: 1Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.

THE HIGH PRIESTHOOD OF THE SON

Hebrews 5:10 says: 10and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

THEIR HIGH PRIESTLY MINISTRIES

 

Aaron – Hebrews 5:2 says:

2He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness.

JESUS – Hebrews 5:9 says:

9and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him

THEIR HUMANITY

 

Aaron – 2b

 

Hebrews 5:2b says:

2He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness.

Jesus  - 5:8

Hebrews 5:8 says:

8Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered

THEIR SACRIFICES

 

Aaron – 5:3

Hebrews 5:3 says: 3This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.

Jesus – 5:7

 

Hebrews 5:7 says:

7During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

 THEIR HIGH PRIESTLY CALL

 

Aaron – 5:4

Hebrews 5:4 says: No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was.

Jesus – 5:5-6 says:

5So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,
   "You are my Son;
      today I have become your Father.[a]"[b] 6And he says in another place,
   "You are a priest forever,
      in the order of Melchizedek."[c]

·        In V. 7 – Christ’s sacrifice is described as prayers and petitions, words often paired in first century Judaism.

 

·        V. 7 The reference here is to Christ’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.

 

·        Jesus did not shrink from physical suffering and death but from the indescribable agony of taking mankind’s sin on himself.

3. Jesus did not avoid suffering and nor should the Christ follower. V. 7

4. CHRIST OFFERED UP PRAYERS AND PETITIONS WHILE ON EARTH AND HE STILL DOES TODAY FOR BELIEVERS – JESUS PRAYS AND INTERCEDES FOR YOU!

 

5.  Just like Jesus Christians are also to offer up prayers and petitions for themselves and other believers. V. 7

 

·        Although Christ was and is by nature the eternal son, He became a human being and learned obedience. V. 8

 

·        It is no accident that Hebrews avoids saying that Christ is subject to weakness because weakness includes sinfulness. V. 2

 

·        Christ’s humanity was characterized by the fact that he learned obedience.

 

·        This phrase does not mean that He was once disobedient and then learned to be obedient. By becoming a human being, he learned what it was like to be obedient.

 

·        He learned obedience by practicing faithful obedience to God in every situation of his life.

 

·        The old high priest ministry was limited to putting up with sin because of sinfulness; Christ’s ministry brings eternal salvation because of his accomplished obedience.

 

6) Just like Jesus, the Christ follower must also learn to walk in obedience. V. 8

 

7) While there is one way to God through Jesus who is the only source for salvation there are many ways to Jesus. Vs. 9-10

 

8) THE MORE OBEDIENT A PERSON IS TO THE SCRIPTURES, THE MORE THEY UNDERSTAND THEM - THERE IS A CORRELATION BETWEEN OBEDIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING! V. 11

 

V. 11 – “WE HAVE MUCH TO STAY ABOUT THIS, BUT IT IS HARD TO EXPLAIN BECAUSE YOU ARE SLOW TO LEARN”.

·        THE BEST METHOD FOR BIBLE STUDY IS OBEDIENCE – AS YOU APPLY WHAT YOU DO KNOW, WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW WILL BE UNCOVERED AND REVEALED TO YOU BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. V. 11

 

·        Faithful obedience enables God’s people to comprehend more clearly God’s work in Christ that cleanses sin and brings access to the Father’s presence.

 

·        In turn, this deeper comprehension is a source of power for faithful obedience.

 

·        The writer of Hebrews wants to explain the deeper things of Christ so that his hearers can be empowered for trust and obedience.

 

·        He is concerned, however, that their present level of trust and obedience might prevent them from grasping the depths of Christ’s high priesthood.

 

·        They appear to be negligent of spiritual truth, rather than diligent in their Christian walk.

 

·        He warns them against being satisfied during the beginning stages of Christian living and challenges them to be more consistent in their faith.

 

9) God expects Christians to mature spiritually and such maturity is not measured by Bible knowledge alone but by obedience to Bible truth. Vs. 11-14

 

·        BIBLE KNOWLEDGE DOES NOT IMPRESS GOD – HE ALREADY KNOWS IT.

 

·        OBEDIENCE TO THE BIBLE IMPRESSES GOD BECAUSE IT SHOWS HIM THAT YOUR HEART IS SUBMITTED TO HIM!

 

·        The preacher describes his hearers’ potentially stunted state of Christian growth in Hebrews 5:11-14 and warns them of its possible results in 6:1-8.

 

V. 11 – WE HAVE MUCH TO SAY ABOUT THIS, BUT IT IS HARD TO EXPLAIN BECAUSE YOU ARE SLOW TO LEARN.

 

·        “About this” refers to the high priesthood of Christ, especially His high priesthood after Melchizedek’s order, and to all the blessings and benefits that are available through Christ’s high priesthood.

 

·        This deeper spiritual truth about Christ’s high priesthood is hard to explain, but not primarily because it is challenging in itself.

 

·        It is the spiritual situation of the hearers that causes the difficulty.

 

·        Because they are “slow to learn”.

 

·        The New King James Version and the New American Standard Version read “dull of hearing.

 

·        “Dull of hearing” means they have become slow to understand because they have become slow to obey.

 

·        The hearers shy away from understanding the truth more deeply because they fear the consequences of that understanding.

 

·        Many words in this verse emphasize the fact that this state is an unnatural one.

 

·        The preacher had every reason to expect something different from them.

 

·        They were immature in an unhealthy sense.

 

·        They were adults acting like babies.

 

·        There is nothing wrong with a baby being a baby, but it is abnormal for an adult to act like a baby.

 

10. CHRISTIANS ARE URGED TO GROW UP IN CHRIST TO THE POINT WHERE THEY CAN TEACH BIBLE TRUTHS AND DISCIPLE BABY CHRISTIANS. V. 12

 

·        BY THIS TIME YOU OUGHT TO BE TEACHERS….BUT YOU NEED SOMEONE TO TEACH YOU. V 12

 

·        In the Greek the first word of the next clause is “again”.

 

·        They had been taught once, but again have need for someone to teach you. V. 12

 

·        The phrase, “ELEMENTARY TRUTHS OF GOD” means literally, the basic elements of the beginning of the words of God..”

 

·        The Greek says “words of God” – plural.

 

·        They needed to be taught again the most elementary basic facts of the “words” of God – their spiritual ABC’s.

 

·        First century writers often spoke of educational development, which included character formation, both in terms of athletic training and in terms of progress from infancy to maturity.

 

·        YOU NEED MILK, NOT SOLID FOOD.

 

·        This revelation is a “word of righteousness” because it calls God’s people to “righteousness”.

 

·        This “righteousness” is the life of faith exemplified by the Old Testament faithful in Hebrews 10:38-11:40.

 

·        The “word of righteousness” is God’s revelation which calls us to this kind of life and which enables us to endure in the face of pressure.

 

·        Those who are still living on milk-teaching are not skilled in living this life of faith because they have not practiced it.

 

·        The mature are ready for solid food – they are the people who by constant use have been trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. V. 14

 

·        “Practice” invokes the athletic metaphor.

 

·        An athlete improves his skill by practicing.

 

·        So the mature are those who have practiced living by the truth that they have.

 

·        The more they live by the faith that leads to obedience, the more fully they understand God’s truth.

 

·        The more fully they understand god’s truth, the more they are enabled to live by faith.

 

·        Thus they have “senses” that have been trained.

 

·        “Senses” includes both discernment and choice.

 

·        They have learned to distinguish what is good and appropriate (what pleases God) from what is evil 9what does not please him).

 

·        Such knowledge has come because they have also consistently chosen the good.

 

·        Those who remain in or return to the immature life of babies do so because they fail to practice the life of faith.

 

·        They are responsible for their lack of experience, for their lack of training.

 

·        The preacher fears that his hearers have begun to show signs of such immaturity.

 

·        He wants them to renew their faith and obedience so that they can digest solid food- the teaching about Christ’s high priesthood.

 

·        He wants them to live in the full cleansing from sin and victory over temptation that this high priesthood provides.

 

·        Christians are to trust and obey, but it is God who sustains then in the life of purity and victory over temptation.

 

·        All this is provided for God’s people by their High Priest.

 

·        GO ON TO MATURITY.

 

·        In these verses, maturity is something God has prepared for those who by means of faith and obedience show their sincere wish to move toward God’s goal for them.

 

·        When Hebrews says Christians are “perfected” it means that they have received this cleansing from sin and thus have the privilege of entering God’s presence.

 

·        He is the One who enables them to continue living in this state of heart cleansing.

 

·        “MILK” IS THE GOSPEL MESSAGE THAT PROCLAIMS THAT JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS FOR YOUR SINS SO YOU CAN BE SAVED – IT IS SALVATION WHERE YOU TRUST THE BLOOD OF JESUS TO SAVE YOUR SOUL FOR ALL ETERNITY.

 

·        MEAT/SOLID FOOD – IS THE PRACTICE OF DENYING YOURSELF, PICKING UP YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOWING JESUS – IT IS SANCTIFICATION – WHERE YOU BECOME MORE LIKE JESUS IN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND LESS LIKE THE WORLD HERE ON EARTH.

 

Hebrews 5:11-6:3 says:

 

11We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 12In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Hebrews 6

 1Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,[a] and of faith in God, 2instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3And God permitting, we will do so.

·        A Christian who always drinks milk, never going on to solid food is a weak and immature Christian who is proud and puffed up.

 

1 Timothy 3:1-7 says:

 

1Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer,[a] he desires a noble task. 2Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.